SALTON SEA – (INT) – Southern California’s ecologically-troubled Salton Sea has found to be the source of a new pollution concern – dust.

Scientists at the University of California, Riverside investigating the composition of particulate matter (PM) and its sources at the Salton Sea have found that this shrinking lake is exposing large areas of dry lakebed, called playa. They act acting as new dust sources with the potential to impact human health.

Dust emissions from playas increase airborne PM mass, which has been linked to cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and mortality in humans.

The study also found that playa and airborne particulate matter are high in sodium, impacting the ecosystem, and selenium, a driver of toxicity in birds and aquatic life.